The Spiritual Roots of Art in India
India conceived the philosophy of art, early on in the Vedic period itself. The highest vision of the Rishis was at the root of all great art forms in India.
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Art, Spiritual Progress, and the World of Creation
Read about the various zones of what the Mother called as the World of Creation. This helps us understand how art can be a means for spiritual progress.
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The Different Paths of an Artist and a Sadhu
Through a masterful analysis the author concludes that if the aim of spirituality is to know the Self, then the aim of art too is the same.
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The Rapture of the Cosmic Dance – 1
Read about the sacred origins of dance as per the Indian cultural tradition. Also emphasized here is an integral vision of art in India.
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The Rapture of the Cosmic Dance – 2
The focus of drama in India was along the lines of the Indian view of life which emphasised continuity and renewal as well as an urge to create an ideal life.
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Art in India: A Quick Historical Look – I
The author emphasizes the ‘sacred’ foundation of all artistic creation in India. Part 1 focuses on a brief history of sculpture in India.
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Embracing Life in Its Many Colours and Hues
Sri Aurobindo writes in The Human Cycle, “The art, music and literature of the world, always a sure index of the vital tendencies of the age, have also undergone a profound revolution in the direction of an ever-deepening subjectivism. The great objective art and literature of the past no longer commands the mind of the new age.”
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Rasa: Its Meaning and Scope – 2
In this part the author explores if there a primary rasa from which other rasa-s originate. He also helps us reflect on how rasa is an attribute of the soul.
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Dhūlichitra: The Art Ritual of Women
The art of dhūlichitra mentioned in several ancient Indian treatises on art is known by many names such as kolam, rangoli, alpona, mandana, etc.
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Envisioning the Divine in Indian Art
The essential element of the highest art in India is the artist’s insistence on expressing the Infinite in a finite form. To quote from Sri Aurobindo, it is to “disclose something of the Self, the Infinite, the Divine to the regard of the soul, the Self through its expressions, the Infinite through its living finite symbols, the Divine through his powers”
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The Purpose of Art – From Beauty to Bliss
This new series explores the Spirit and Forms of Art in India. The first issue focuses on the theme: The Purpose of Art – From Beauty to Bliss.
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Art for Art’s Sake? Certainly, But Also Art for the Soul’s Sake
This remarkable letter of Sri Aurobindo, with relevant examples and detailed explanations, is a perfect response to the slogan – Art for Art’s Sake.
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“In India God is the All-beautiful” – Conversations with Sri Aurobindo
Read these selections from Evening Talks with Sri Aurobindo on beauty, and the relation between aesthetic refinement and spiritual development.
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The Uses of Art – A 1905 Lecture
The timely relevance of the key points made by E. B. Havell in this lecture delivered in 1905 is remarkable, despite the references to the context of his time.
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“Beauty is his footprint…” (with video)
How is Beauty connected with delight, harmony and life? How does one experience the delight of beauty? Read and reflect. Also, watch a video featuring an insight from the Mother on how “the anguish of desire” distorts the experience of beauty.
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The Realisation of Beauty
This essay is excerpted from Rabindranath Tagore’s book titled Sādhanā: The Realisation of Life. Don’t miss a beautiful poem by Tagore translated in English.
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The Obscene and the Ugly – Form and Essence
The author writes: “Obscenity has its place in art, but not ugliness. Obscenity and ugliness are not the same, nor are decency and beauty.”
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Beauty and Harmony in the Warp and Woof of Nature
These passages from Sri Aurobindo’s play ‘The Harmony of Virtue’ written in 1892, highlight the Beauty in Nature which is based on the principle of Harmony.
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The Figures of Eternity
If all Art is an artist’s interpretation of what he sees in Nature (or in Life), is it right to assume that it would express only beauty? Read to explore.
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“To find highest beauty is to find God”
What do we are truly seek when we seek beauty? How can one consciously appreciate that which is beautiful and true? Read and discover.
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